How to Market Your Business (Without Chasing Every Trend)
If only the answer to “how to market your business” were easy. Because if you’re searching for it, you’re probably one of these:
- doing it all and exhausted
- unsure where to start
- know your marketing isn’t working
- or noticed the activity that always worked, no longer works
Marketing is the one area of business that can feel overwhelming. Especially if you’re a solopreneur running around trying to maximise every tool and tactic in the box. Or you might have a small marketing team that appears to be working in isolation, doing their own thing, wondering why the sales team isn’t happy. Or something in between.
I’ve already hinted at why it’s so overwhelming and exhausting, and why it so often doesn’t work. Sometimes, there’s a disconnect between your marketing strategy and the tools you use. Or you’ve placed too much emphasis on the tools, rather than starting with the strategy, or you’re simply spreading yourself too thinly.
In marketing terms, strategy is the decision about who you’re talking to and why they should care — everything else (social media, content, ads) is just the “how.” Once you understand this, marketing starts to feel a little easier.
Marketing Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
Don’t tell the marketing experts I said that — although the really good ones would agree. Simple marketing works better than trying to do it all and spreading yourself too thin. It starts with knowing who you want to serve.
In the olden days, as my old Nan used to say, we’d also talk about where your clients are “hanging out.” Since they’re most likely hanging out everywhere, it makes more sense to work out where they’re not.
If your client is 60+, there’s a high chance you won’t find them on TikTok. There’ll be some, sure, but far fewer than in younger demographics. The same applies to every other platform.
The key to successful marketing is knowing who your audience is, where they are, why they matter, and how you want to communicate with them. Yes, how you want to communicate matters too. If you hate the sound of your own voice and video sends shivers down your spine, but you love writing, then focus on writing, blogs, LinkedIn articles, whatever suits you and where your clients are hanging out.
How to Market Your Business
Decide who you want to work with and how you want to communicate with them. Then double-check you’re not spreading yourself too thin. For example, a website with a blog, a networking group, and showing up on LinkedIn might be all you need. Or perhaps it’s a website, YouTube, and Instagram.
The key is not to spread yourself too thin, especially at the beginning. If I could go back, I’d never have built a Facebook page or Instagram account; neither has ever brought me a client.
Why not?
I don’t enjoy Facebook. I spend very little time there personally, so I post just to prove I exist — that I’m real. Instagram’s similar, though I enjoy it slightly more. But LinkedIn? That’s my place and where you’ll find me every day.
How you market your business is entirely up to you. Just remember, less is often more, and since consistency is everything, I’d urge you to do what comes most naturally.
Do as I Say, Not as I Do
You might be thinking, but Lindsey, you do it all. Remember, I’ve been in business for more than ten years. In that time, I’ve tried a lot of things, come back to some, and never touched others (Bluesky, looking at you). One of my biggest mistakes was spreading myself too thin — creating new, different content for every single channel. It was a tough lesson to learn.
These days, I know exactly where my clients come from: networking. Thankfully, I love meeting and talking to people, so it never feels like a chore because networking works for me in every way – visibility, connection, and securing clients. And that is why I’ve made ONE Networking my home, and I give it more time than any other marketing activity combined.
That’s the real lesson: it’s not about doing everything. It’s about finding the one or two things that actually work for you, and doing those well.
Space to Think
Marketing is a core area of business, and one I help my clients navigate. from the who to the how and the role it plays in their business. If you’re struggling with marketing, can’t seem to make it work for you, or are feeling overwhelmed, I invite you to book a Breakthrough Coaching Call. Together, we’ll gain some clarity, focus your marketing activity, and maybe, just maybe, start to see results.